The Institution of Christian Religion

But let the faithful accustom themselves to such a despising of §3present life, as may neither engender a hatred thereof, nor any unthankfulness toward God. For this life, howsoever it is full of infinite miseries, is yet worthily reckoned among the not slender blessings of God. Therefore if we acknowledge no benefit of God in it, we are guilty of no small unthankfulness toward God himself. But specially it ought to be to the faithful a testimony of Gods good will, forasmuch as it is wholly directed to the furtherance of their salvation. For before that he openly deliver unto us the inheritance of eternal glory, his will is to show himself a Father unto us by smaller ⟨image 247⟩examples: and these be the benefits that are daily bestowed upon us. Sith therefore this life serveth us to understand the goodness of God, shall we disdain it as though it had not a crumb of goodness in it? We must therefore put on this feeling and affection, to reckon it among the gifts of goodness that are not to be refused. For though there wanted testimonies of Scripture, of which there are both many and most evident, very nature it self doth exhort us to give thanks to the Lord, for that he hath brought us into the light of it, that he granteth us the use of it, that he giveth us all necessary succours for the preservation of it. And this is a much greater reason, if we consider that we are in it after a certain manner prepared to the glory of the heavenly kingdom. For so the Lord hath ordained that they which in time to come shall be crowned in heaven, must fight certain battles in earth, that they should not triumph, till they had overcome the hard adventures of the battle, & obtained the victory. Then an other reason is, that we do by diverse benefits begin therein to taste the sweetness of Gods liberality, that our hope & desire should be whetted to long for the revealing thereof. When this is determined, that it is a gift of Gods clemency that we live this earthly life, for which as we be bound unto him, so we ought to be mindful and thankful: then we shall in fit order come to consider the most miserable estate thereof, to this end that we may be delivered from to much greediness of it, whereunto as I have before said, we are of our selves naturally inclined.

But let the faithfull accustome themselues to suche a despisyng of §3